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Chocolate & Cherry Matcha Energy Bars

Three of my favorite flavor combos are chocolate and cherry, matcha and cherry, and chocolate and matcha. I figured I’d try putting them all together into one epic larabar-style date + nut bar and see what happened… They turned out incredible!

What I love most about these bars (in addition to having just 6 simple ingredients and taking less than 5 minutes to make) is the layers and layers of amazing flavors. At first, you’re hit with the bitter matcha green tea flavor, which blends into the tart cherry, and then then sweetness of the dates with the cocoa. They’re really delicious.

Makes about 10 bars

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup pitted dates
  • 1/4 cup dried cherries
  • 3/4 cup raw nuts (ideally cashews)
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon matcha powder
  • Pinch of salt

Step One

Basically, just combine all the ingredients in your food processor and let it run for at least two minutes. At first it will be very clumpy and dry, but as it processes, the nuts and dates will break down and it should form one solid sticky clump. That’s when you know it’s done.

Pro tip: add the powders (matcha and cocoa) at the *bottom* of the food processor and add everything else on top. Even with the lid on, this will prevent everything within a 100-foot radius from becoming covered with a thin layer of matcha-cocoa dust…

Step Two

take two pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap and sandwich the mixture between them, use something big and flat like a cutting board to press down evenly until the mixture is about 1/4-inch thick, or whatever works for you. Keep the layers of parchment intact and transfer to the fridge for 15-30 minutes to firm up (optional) before slicing and using a sifter to dust the tops with extra matcha powder.

Store refrigerated in plastic bags for a week or more.

4 Comments

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  1. Hi Andrew,

    These look delicious! I was just wondering if you could mention what type of cherries you use. All the dried cherries I see have added sugar and oil, and I’m guessing you have a secret source. 🙂

    Thanks!

    Michele

    • Unfortunately I’ve never found them without sugar and stuff. 🙁 What I usually do is go to the store and look for pure dried cherries, cruse the store because all the cherries have sugar, then buy them anyways because I have no choice. They might exist, but I haven’t seen them. Thankfully, it’s not that many in this recipe to add that much extra sugar or oil.

  2. Unusual to see you giving in on the one ingredient hunt, made me curious. A bit of hunting later, discovered dried organic cherries are available.

    These two brands seem to be just cherries, nothing else. There were several other ‘organic’ cherry suppliers but all had sweeteners (apple juice usually, some sugar) and oil (sunflower) added.

    Several kinds of cherries (and fruit) including tart, Bing, Rainier – organic or natural http://www.bellaviva.com/organic-dried-cherries

    Tart Organic Cherries (and other fruit) https://nwwildfoods.com/product/dried-organic-tart-cherries/

    Thanks for all the lovely recipes

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